ICE Arrests Milwaukee Islamic Society Leader

Salah Sarsour. Photo courtesy of Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Salah Sarsour, was arrested by federal immigration agents Monday.

Sarsour was arrested Monday morning by more than 10 federal agents, who allegedly followed him from home, according to the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA). He has since been placed in detention in Clay County, Indiana, according to federal court documents. Attorneys for Sarsour allege he was targeted by federal authorities over speech supporting Palestinian people.

Sarsour, 53, is a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, according to MLFA. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to a request for comment on the reasoning for his arrest prior to publishing Thursday.

Attorneys for Sarsour have filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana, asking the court to make the federal government explain why he is being detained. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued an order requiring the federal government to answer the allegations in the petition and show cause for why he should not be released. The order also prevents federal law enforcement from deporting him or transferring him to another jurisdiction.

“[The U.S. Department of Homeland Security] is advancing charges that raise serious constitutional concerns,” according to the MLFA. “As in other recent cases, the government appears to be using the immigration system to target individuals for protected speech related to Palestine and Palestinians.”

MLFA attorneys released statements contending the government arrested Sarsour because of his advocacy for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.

“As attorneys, we are alarmed by this administration’s renewed attempt to circumvent the Constitution by leveraging the immigration system to suppress free speech and silence advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Jinan Chehade, MLFA Civil Litigation Staff Attorney.

Sarsour was born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As a teenager, he was arrested and tortured by Israeli security forces and “sentenced on fraudulent charges” by an Israeli military court, according to the ISM. When he arrived in the U.S. in 1993, the federal government was aware of his record.

Sarsour has served as the elected president of ISM for the past five years, according to a statement by the organization. His wife and children are all U.S. citizens. He has been variously described as a successful local businessman and a pillar of the community by the ISM and those who knew him.

“The fact that the present ‘Israel first’ U.S. government has chosen to target Mr. Sarsour after thirty-two years in the United States is unconscionable and illegal,” the ISM said. “Had Mr. Sarsour not been targeted by Israel and its agents, he would likely be receiving accolades for his accomplishments.”

American Muslims for Palestine, a nonprofit advocacy organization, compared Sarsour’s detention to that of other activists, like Mahmoud Khalil, who have criticized U.S. support for Israel, which is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“DHS targeting a community leader like Salah must raise alarms for all of us,” the organization said in a statement.

Local and state elected officials in Milwaukee have released statements condemning Sarsour’s arrest. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore released a statement calling for Sarsour’s immediate release.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Moore said. “Salah Sarsour is a respected leader in the Milwaukee community, and his detention raises serious concerns about the continued targeting of lawful residents based on the color of their skin or their political beliefs.”

UPDATE: DHS, in a press release Thursday afternoon, said it arrested Sarsour because he was “suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms.” It alleged his arrest stemmed from a teenage conviction in Israel for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli armed forces and attempting to possess weapons and ammunition.

Update: Community Rallies in Support of Salah Sarsour

Supporters of Salah Sarsour. Photo taken April 2, 2026 by Graham Kilmer.

What was supposed to be a simple press conference Thursday afternoon turned into a rally in support of Sarsour. More than 100 people filled a large hall at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Community Center, 815 W. Layton Ave., to show their support, carrying signs that read “Free Salah Sarsour.” Local elected officials attended, including Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

Friends, family and supporters are all convinced Sarsour was arrested by federal agents because he is an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause and a leading figure in the Muslim community.

“He is a person who is viewed by people in our community and outside our community as being a great leader, a Muslim leader, a Palestinian leader, an activist, a family man, a humanitarian, a philanthropist,” said Othman Atta, ISM executive director. “This is a man who came to the United States and kind of lived the American dream, and they have tried to tarnish his image.”

Othman, who spoke to Sarsour Thursday, said the federal government’s primary justification for his arrest is the fact that he was arrested by the Israeli military as a teenager and convicted while living under military occupation. The U.S. government has long been aware of Sarsour’s history and is only now using it as a justification to deport him.

“He was targeted because of one thing: because he dared to stand up to the Israeli government,” Othman said. “He dared to, and he was not a U.S. citizen.”

Kareem Sarsour, his eldest son, described his father as a giving, selfless and upstanding figure in his life and in the community.

“People like him are people that we need to celebrate in our community, raise high, appreciate everything they sacrifice in their life,” he said. “Not being taken away and kidnapped in broad daylight and thrown into a detention center where they’re treated as subhumans.”

Imam Rami Bleibel and Bishop Paul Erickson both spoke during the event, condemning Salah’s arrest, along with Rachel Ida Buff of Jewish Voice for Peace. “If you were oppressed and you were wrong and you’re vulnerable, Salah was there for you, and this is the character of our dear friend and leader, Salah Sarsour, who the Israeli government is targeting,” Bleibel said.

Fauzia Qureshi, executive director of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, said Salah is a “political prisoner” and that she thought his arrest was meant to intimidate pro-Palestinian activists and immigrants.

“This is a targeted, politically motivated arrest designed to send a message to every Palestinian, every Muslim, every immigrant in the city,” she said. “Be silent, or we will silence you.”

Janan Najeeb, from the Wisconsin Muslim Women’s Coalition, said Sarsour was arrested by ICE only days after the website Canary Mission publicized “fabricated information” about him. The website was previously used by federal authorities to gather evidence against student activists Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk.

Attorney Munjed Ahmad, a close friend of Salah, said his arrest was an “affront to the Constitution” and an attempt to silence the growing support for Palestine in the U.S. He said Trump and “this crooked Epstein government” cannot be allowed to hijack American democracy. Ahmad also spoke with Salah Thursday, who, he said, is committed to fighting for his freedom and “every single American who deserves their rights.”

“Americans have woken up and we know what’s happening,” Ahmad said. “We know that our government, that this administration, this criminal administration, is doing nothing but the bidding of a foreign government.”